Entertainment Weekly has revealed the cover to their Comic-Con preview issue, set to hit stands tomorrow, July 3rd. As you can see below, this one offers a new image of Martin Freeman and Ian McKellen as Bilbo Baggins and Gandalf the Grey from The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey.

Set for release in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on December 14th, the film comprises the first half of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy tale which follows the journey of Bilbo, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by Gandalf, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

"An Unexpected Journey" will be followed up by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013.

Following the cover image from the new issue of Entertainment Weekly, the magazine has also released 10 more photos from the anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, opening in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D theaters on December 14. You can check them out below!

"An Unexpected Journey" comprises the first half of J.R.R. Tolkien's fantasy tale which follows the journey of Bilbo, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by Gandalf, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

Peter Jackson has announced on his Facebook page that filming for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey and The Hobbit: There and Back Again has wrapped. "An Unexpected Journey" will hit 3D, 2D and IMAX theaters on December 14 and will be followed by "There and Back Again" on December 13, 2013.

The filmmaker posted the following note and photo:

We made it! Shoot day 266 and the end of principal photography on The Hobbit. Thanks to our fantastic cast and crew for getting us this far, and to all of you for your support! Next stop, the cutting room. Oh, and Comic Con!Cheers, Peter J

Comic-Con is just a few days away but the excitement leading up to it means a lot of the things that would normally premiere there are showing up early, and that excitement must have gotten to director Peter Jackson, who revealed the new Comic-Con poster for his anticipated The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey on his Facebook page today.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on December 14 but we'll be live-blogging the movie's Comic-Con panel right here on Saturday, July 14.

Warner Bros. and MGM have revealed, via EW, a massive banner for their upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Check it out below!

Filled with familiar images from J.R.R. Tolkien's classic novel, the banner seems to unfold in a chronological manner from left to right, so it may give us our first hint as to how much of the tale is featured in the first film. What's more, the banner offers a first look at Beorn, the woodsman who Bilbo Baggins, Gandalf and the Dwarves encounter near Mirkwood who has the ability to transform himself into a bear.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opens on December 14, but check back this weekend as we'll be live-blogging the film's Comic-Con panel on Saturday, July 14th.

Director Peter Jackson didn't mention this in The Hobbit press conference, but he's really looking to shoot more stuff. As you may know, the film isn't only relying on the book. There is a ton of material from all different Tolkien publications, including when Gandalf disappears without explanation. Jackson says he doesn't just want this to be a kid film. He wants it to fit into the "Lord of the Rings" universe and feel the same, so that we crazy fans can watch them all together if we wish.

Nothing is confirmed, as he himself admits, but there is always a possibility. He says, "It's very premature. I mean we have an incredible source material with the appendices because 'The Hobbit' is obviously a novel but we also have the rights to use this 125 pages of additional notes where Tolkien expanded the world of 'The Hobbit' published at the end of 'Return of the King' and we've used some of it so far and just in the last few weeks as we've been wrapping up the shooting and thinking about the shape of the story, Fran and I have been talking to the studio about other things we haven't been able to shoot and seeing if we persuade them to do a few more weeks of shooting, probably more than a few weeks actually, next year. And what form that would actually end up taking, well the discussions are pretty early. So there isn't really anything to report but there's other parts of the story that we'd like to tell that we haven't been able to tell yet.

"We've used more source material than 'The Hobbit.' For instance in 'The Hobbit' when Gandalf mysteriously disappears for chapters, it was never really explained where he's gone. Much later Tolkien filled in those details. In these appendices he did talk about what happened. And it was all together a lot darker and more serious than what is written in 'The Hobbit'. And also to be honest I want to make a series of movies that run together so if any crazy lunatic wants to watch them all in a row there will be a consistency to it, a consistency of tone.

"So I don't want to make a children's story to go into 'The Lord of the Rings' so we are providing a balance. I mean a lot of the comedy and the charm comes from the characters. You're dealing with Bilbo Baggins who is a bit more reluctant to go on an adventure than Frodo was and with Dwarves who have a personality and camaraderie all of their own, so there's a lot of humor but there are still some serious themes involved."

Peter Jackson has brought online this 8th Production Video for The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey which includes both footage shot at the San Diego Comic-Con and the video that was shown to the audience there.

Jackson said: "Hi everyone. I know that not everybody gets to Comic Con, so I thought I'd bring a little bit of Comic Con to you! Here's a bit of what I saw in San Diego, and what those in Hall H got to see of The Hobbit!

Peter Jackson had first hinted at the San Diego Comic-Con that he wanted to shoot more footage for "The Hobbit" films, but now it looks the filmmaker and Warner Bros. Pictures are getting serious about even developing a third film.

Heat Vision is reporting that Jackson wants to turn his two-film adaptation of the J.R.R. Tolkien epic into a trilogy and that additional shooting would take place next summer for about two months in New Zealand if he comes to an agreement with the studio.

According to the site, "Warner Bros., Jackson, producer Fran Walsh and writer-producer Philippa Boyens began exploring the logistics of what it would take to make another movie. Those talks are said to have accelerated in recent days, with the studio on board if the right financial arrangements can be achieved. That includes securing new actor deals for the expansive cast as well as shoring up certain rights associated with the property (The Hobbit has a long a tortured rights history.)"

A source for the trade added, "If we're going to do it, we have to make a decision soon. It’s strongly driven by the filmmakers' desire to tell more of the story. It's about taking the chance to tell more of the incredible tale with the cast we have assembled."

The first installment, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will hit theaters and IMAX on December 14. The Hobbit: There and Back Again will follow on December 13, 2013. A third film would presumably follow sometime in 2014.

What do you think? Do you think Jackson could stretch out the story to three films? We assume he would be using the appendices to "The Lord of the Rings" books to develop more storyline.

Two new images from Peter Jackson's upcoming The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey are now online, depicting Andy Serkis as Gollum both behind-the-scenes in his motion-capture gear and in his finalized, animated form. Check them both out below, courtesy of E!.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey follows the journey of title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior, Thorin Oakensheild. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers.

Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum.

Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey will be followed up by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013. Recent reports suggest that a third may even follow that, likely targeting a 2014 release.

Peter Jackson just confirmed last week's rumor on Facebook that "The Hobbit" will now be three films. The filmmaker released the following statement:

It is only at the end of a shoot that you finally get the chance to sit down and have a look at the film you have made. Recently Fran, Phil and I did just this when we watched for the first time an early cut of the first movie - and a large chunk of the second. We were really pleased with the way the story was coming together, in particular, the strength of the characters and the cast who have brought them to life. All of which gave rise to a simple question: do we take this chance to tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as the filmmakers, and as fans, was an unreserved ‘yes.'

We know how much of the story of Bilbo Baggins, the Wizard Gandalf, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur will remain untold if we do not take this chance. The richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, allows us to tell the full story of the adventures of Bilbo Baggins and the part he played in the sometimes dangerous, but at all times exciting, history of Middle-earth.

So, without further ado and on behalf of New Line Cinema, Warner Bros. Pictures, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Wingnut Films, and the entire cast and crew of “The Hobbit” films, I’d like to announce that two films will become three.

It has been an unexpected journey indeed, and in the words of Professor Tolkien himself, "a tale that grew in the telling."

Cheers,

Peter J

The first installment, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, will hit theaters and IMAX on December 14. The Hobbit: There and Back Again will follow on December 13, 2013. The third film is expected to hit theaters in the summer of 2014.

UPDATE: We now have the official press release as well:

Peter Jackson will make a third film in his upcoming adaptation of J.R.R. Tolkien’s enduringly popular masterpiece The Hobbit, it was jointly announced today by Toby Emmerich, President and Chief Operating Officer, New Line Cinema, Gary Barber and Roger Birnbaum, Co-Chairman and Chief Executive Officers, Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios, and Jeff Robinov, President, Warner Bros. Pictures Group.

Jackson, the Academy Award®-winning filmmaker behind the blockbuster “The Lord of the Rings” Trilogy, recently wrapped principal photography on what he originally planned to be a two-film adaptation of The Hobbit, which is set in Middle-earth 60 years before The Lord of the Rings.

Jackson stated, “Upon recently viewing a cut of the first film, and a chunk of the second, Fran Walsh, Philippa Boyens and I were very pleased with the way the story was coming together. We recognized that the richness of the story of The Hobbit, as well as some of the related material in the appendices of The Lord of the Rings, gave rise to a simple question: do we tell more of the tale? And the answer from our perspective as filmmakers and fans was an unreserved ‘yes.’ We know the strength of our cast and of the characters they have brought to life. We know creatively how compelling and engaging the story can be and—lastly, and most importantly—we know how much of the tale of Bilbo Baggins, the Dwarves of Erebor, the rise of the Necromancer, and the Battle of Dol Guldur would remain untold if we did not fully realize this complex and wonderful adventure. I’m delighted that New Line, MGM and Warner Bros. are equally enthusiastic about bringing fans this expansive tale across three films.”

Emmerich stated, “We completely support Peter and his vision for bringing this grand adventure to the screen over the course of three films. Peter, Fran and Philippa’s reverence for the material and understanding of these characters ensure an exciting and expanded journey that is bound to please fans around the world.”

“With the abundance of rich material, we fully endorse the decision to further develop what Peter, Fran and Philippa have already begun. We are confident that, with the great care the filmmakers have taken to faithfully bring this journey to the screen, the film will be welcomed by the legions of fans across the globe,” said Barber and Birnbaum.

Robinov added, “Peter, Fran and Philippa have lived in this world and understand more than anyone its tremendous breadth and scope, and the relationships that bind it together. We strongly support their vision to bring this great work fully to life.”

The first film in the trilogy, “The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey,” will be released December 14, 2012, with the second film releasing on December 13, 2013, and the third film slated for summer 2014. All three films will be released in 3D and 2D in select theatres and IMAX.

From Academy Award®-winning filmmaker Peter Jackson comes three films based on The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. The trilogy of films are set in Middle-earth 60 years before “The Lord of the Rings,” which Jackson and his filmmaking team brought to the big screen in the blockbuster trilogy that culminated with the Oscar®-winning “The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King.

Under Jackson’s direction, all three movies are being shot in digital 3D using the latest camera and stereo technology. Additional filming, as with principal photography, is taking place at Stone Street Studios, Wellington, and on location around New Zealand.

“The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey” and its successive installments are productions of New Line Cinema and MGM, with New Line managing production. Warner Bros. Pictures is handling worldwide theatrical distribution, with select international territories as well as all international television licensing, being handled by MGM.

HobbitFilm.it alerted us they've got the first photos of the limited edition RealD 3D glasses for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey which will be available in select theaters this December.

Earlier this week, the filmmaker, New Line/Warner Bros. and MGM announced that "The Hobbit" films will become a trilogy with The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey hitting theaters and IMAX on December 14, followed by The Hobbit: There and Back Again on December 13, 2013, and the third film opening in theaters Summer 2014.

Debuting in theaters on June 22nd with Disney/Pixar's Brave, New Line/Warner Bros. has not officially released the alternate trailer for Peter Jackson's The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey online, and for good reason.

Today is actor Richard Armitage's 41st birthday and to celebrate, the official Twitter account for The Hobbit tweeted this hi-res photo of Armitage as Thorin Oakenshield in the films.

The first film in the trilogy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey opening December 14, follows title character Bilbo Baggins, who is swept into an epic quest to reclaim the lost Dwarf Kingdom of Erebor, which was long ago conquered by the dragon Smaug. Approached out of the blue by the wizard Gandalf the Grey, Bilbo finds himself joining a company of thirteen dwarves led by the legendary warrior Thorin Oakenshield. Their journey will take them into the Wild; through treacherous lands swarming with Goblins and Orcs, deadly Wargs and Giant Spiders, Shapeshifters and Sorcerers. Although their goal lies to the East and the wastelands of the Lonely Mountain, first they must escape the goblin tunnels, where Bilbo meets the creature that will change his life forever... Gollum. Here, alone with Gollum, on the shores of an underground lake, the unassuming Bilbo Baggins not only discovers depths of guile and courage that surprise even him, he also gains possession of Gollum's "precious" ring that holds unexpected and useful qualities... A simple, gold ring that is tied to the fate of all Middle-earth in ways Bilbo cannot begin to know.